London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jul 11, 2025

British embassy guard who spied for Russia tells London court he is 'ashamed'

British embassy guard who spied for Russia tells London court he is 'ashamed'

A security guard at the British embassy in Berlin who collected highly sensitive information and passed some of it to the Russian state told a London court on Tuesday that he is "disgusted with myself and ashamed of what I've done".
David Ballantyne Smith, 58, said he started collecting confidential information during a dispute with colleagues and while suffering from depression "to give the embassy a bit of a slap".

"I can only apologise for any distress I've caused to anyone," he told London's Old Bailey. "I didn't set out to harm anyone in any way. I just had a bit of a grievance and I just wanted to embarrass the embassy."

Smith pleaded guilty in November to eight offences under the Official Secrets Act, including one charge relating to passing information to General Major Sergey Chukhrov, the Russian military attaché to Berlin, in November 2020.

The seven other charges involve collecting information which might be useful to Russia, four of which relate to an MI5 officer posing as "Dmitry", a Russian national who was supposedly providing assistance to Britain.

The court heard on Monday that Smith collected highly sensitive information for more than three years, including "secret" government communications with Prime Minister Boris Johnson from two cabinet ministers and other sensitive documents.

Smith said on Tuesday that he filmed the documents after drinking "seven pints of beer", adding: "It seemed like a good idea at the time." But he said he did not pass the documents on to anyone as "it would be knowingly damaging the UK".

His letter to Chukrov, which contained "highly sensitive information about the British embassy and those who worked within it", prompted a joint investigation between British and German authorities, prosecutor Alison Morgan said on Monday.

Smith was arrested in August 2021, the day after meeting "Irina" – an MI5 officer posing as a member of Russia's military intelligence service, who told him she needed help as someone had passed information to Britain which "could be damaging to Russia".

Asked when he suspected "Irina" may have actually been working for British intelligence, Smith said in evidence on Tuesday: "The minute she opened her mouth I knew she was British because she spoke to me in a fluent English accent."

He added that he continued to speak with her after she said she worked for Russian intelligence because he was "playing her along".

The prosecution says Smith told colleagues of his "strong anti-UK views", as well as his support for President Putin, which indicates that he had a "clear intention to cause prejudice to the UK" by collecting sensitive information.

Smith denied that he that he was anti-UK or pro-Putin, adding: "My thoughts on Mr Putin are neither here nor there." He also said he had served in Britain's Royal Air Force for 12 years.

However, Morgan said Smith had collected sensitive information knowing it would be “highly damaging to the interests of the country (and) the people you were prepared to sell out by handing over their identification cards”.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
×